Come the Night (The Dangerous Delameres - Book 1) by Christina Skye Page B

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    Not even if he was a highwayman.
    Silver contented herself with maintaining an imperious silence. Blackwood didn’t seem irritated by her behavior. In fact, he didn’t seem to notice her at all.
    Which only made Silver angrier.
    She tugged at her skirts, which were tightly tangled beneath her, and wondered again just what he had done during the time she was unconscious. Frowning, she checked the ribbons and laces on her gown.
    All intact, thank heavens. Of course he had been joking with all that talk about ruining her.
    Hadn’t he?
    They finally reached the little lane over the hill near Lavender Close. Silver wasn’t about to let him drive right up to the house. “Well, it’s been a wonderful evening,” she said curtly. “A pure delight. So you can stop right here.”
    She jumped down from the back of the gig and turned to stalk up the hill, shoving down her rumpled skirts.
    Blackwood’s low laugh brought her around.
    “Just what’s so funny, felon?”
    He shook his head, unable to speak. When he did, his voice was all rum and sugar. “Haven’t you overlooked something, Sunbeam?”
    She might hate him, but Silver had to admit that the man had a voice to make stones sing. The sound of it sent goose bumps racing all over her skin. “If you’re waiting for a good-night kiss, you’re going to be out here till hell freezes over!”
    His low chuckle halted her tirade.
    Frowning, Silver looked down.
    And gasped.
    Her heavy black skirts were all askew, hitched up around her waist, revealing the threadbare riding breeches she’d worn beneath her dress. Only now one leg was split, displaying ivory skin all the way from her waist down past the curve of one naked hip.
    Her face flamed. Her hands shook as she clutched at the ripped cloth.
    “Let me help you,” he said gruffly, jumping down.
    “No!” He was making it too easy for her to let down her guard and forget that it was only business between them. “I don’t need your help. I can’t afford to need anyone! And I’m certainly not about to start with an arrogant, detestable highwayman who is three sheets to the wind!”
    Her voice broke.
    Blackwood frowned, his face intent. He made no attempt to stop her as she stalked off into the night.
    ~ ~ ~
     
    She should have done a thousand things.
    The great copper distilling vat needed to be cleaned and the oils needed to be set out for tomorrow’s tests. Her week’s accounts had yet to be tallied and there were fragrance orders to be recorded.
    But she did none of those things.
    She sank down into her father’s soft old chair and lowered her face to her hands.
    She hated Blackwood. She wished he were dead. She—
    Didn’t. Not at all.
    She hated herself, because he made her feel so reckless, so curious, so hungry for all the things she could never have. Her responsibility was to Bram and Lavender Close; she could never forget that.
    Of course, the attraction was only because she met so few people in this secluded area of Norfolk. It was only because he’d shown her an unexpected kindness at a moment of terror.
    And, oh, how hard she tried to believe that.
    But as she sat on in the darkness, shredding a lavender leaf into tiny, fragrant pieces, Silver began to understand just how great a lie it was.
    ~ ~ ~
     
    “ What I’m wanting to know is where you’ve been and what you’ve been doing there?”
    His eyes blazing, Tinker stood in the center of the conservatory, scowling. His hands were still dusty from the dried flowers he’d been sorting in the storeroom down the hill.
    Silver blinked in the light of his lantern, wondering how long she’d been sitting in the darkness.
    Wondering.
    Denying.
    Hoping. Yes, dear God, hoping with all her heart…
    She ran tired fingers over her aching head. Outside the glass the moon was nearly gone. “I told you, Tinker. I went to find Blackwood. It was our only hope, and I don’t care if you don’t like it. We have to do something, don’t we? Even if that